Her Father The Monster
by forsaleneverused
Summary: Astraea, with her black hair and grey eyes is growing. She doesn't have a father or a mother at that. Her father, a bad man gone for good, named her after the stars and left and her moher is dead. She has the Tonks family, she has her mischevious friends and she is happy, she is content. This story is a series of short glimpses of her life.


_As the Dementors passed by his cell, he felt his happiness erode. He had been thinking of her, he had been if not happy then, as close to happy as he could hope to get. She had been smiling up at him, her eyes sparkling playfully in the sunlight but now it was dark and she was at the other side of the street. No, he refused to let them, he refused to remember. He transformed._

1 September 1984

The Tonks household was in a total state of disarray. This was highly unusual for the family and Andromeda Tonks was having a particularly hard time keeping calm in the face of her daughter and husbands tardiness. Shouts of "This should have been done weeks ago!" and "No Ted I will not calm down. How many times do I have to say something to see it done?" could be heard throughout the house. Somehow, probably owing to the fact that it was her birthday, the little black haired six year old still lay in her bed, sound asleep. A loud crash echoed from the bottom of the stairs and the little girl opened her eyes. She smiled to herself despite the chaos that had ensued below. She looked up at the navy blue, star covered ceiling of her room, happily contemplating the day to come. Her cousin Dora was going to school today which meant Astraea got to go London and she would be with her two best friends. Also, it was her birthday and that was always worth a smile or two. She sat up in her bed, looking straight across at the white bookcase opposite her. The bookcase stood in the middle of the wall and from it stemmed a fantastic painting with merepeople, dragons all forms of magical beings. She got up, letting the quilt she slept under fall to the ground in a messy heap and rubbing her eyes made her way down to the kitchen in the tattered old t-shirt once owned by Uncle Ted. Her naked feet barely made a sound on the dark floorboards.

As she entered the kitchen a wonderful smell of fried tomatoes, french toast and sausages greeted her. Her aunt was muttering under her breath as she stirred the tomatoes with a distracted fick of her wand. Her uncle sat at the table, reading the Daily Prophet without a care in the world. Her cousin was nowhere to be seen. Uncle Ted looked up from his paper when she came in and smiled warmly, "Here's the birthday girl!" he said beckoning her to sit on his lap. Aunt Dromeda turned towards her too and also smiling, and left the tomatoes to stir themselves as she walked over to her side to give her a massive hug and shower her with kisses. "Breakfast is almost ready," she informed Astraea "I suppose Nymphadora woke you with her clattering and banging. I swear, that girl has as much grace as a hippogriff at a tea party..." her aunt went on complaining about her daughter as Atraea ran to her uncle's lap, recieving yet more hugs and kisses before begining their ritual of reading the paper together. This was a habit they had acquired over the summer. It had started off as a way to help Astraea learn how to read but they had got used to it and now, Ted Tonks would sit back in his chair and listen to his young niece read out the news, occasionally leaning over the paper to help her when she got stuck, something that was happening less and less every day. A few minutes later the table was set with the help of a few deft wand movements by Aunt Dromeda, "Astraea, go and get Nymphadora, please tell her breakfast is ready."

The little girl hopped merrily off to her cousin's room, running her finger along the railings as she skipped up the stairs. She found Dora running around her room, chucking random objects into her trunk feverishly. She didn't even realise Astraea had walked in. The little girl looked into her cousin's trunk and couldn't help but wonder why she might need a calender for 1980 or the broken quill holder that she had just flung on top of it without even looking. As Dora turned to add a half used packet of paper handkerchiefs to the pile she finally noticed her cousin "Happy birthday Rea!" she said, grinning, Astraea smiled and relayed her aunt's message at which Dora groaned "I'm not finsihed packing yet, she's going to fry me this time."

Astraea shrugged, not knowing what to say, Dora shook her head at the contents of her trunk and frowning slightly removed the paper handkerchiefs, chucking them across the room. The two girls left the room together, the elder, mussing the younger ones hair playfully. They sat down to a pleasant breakfast and soon after they had finished eating it was time to leave, mother and daughter went to finish packing as Astraea was getting dressed. She pulled on a pair of light blue jeans and white t-shirt with a smiley face on it. She heared her aunt calling from the landing so she grabbed her red cardigan and dashed down the stairs to put on her red sports shoes. The family was assembled infront of the large fireplace, "I'll go first, with Astraea, Ted, make sure you don't forget anything, we won't have time for a second trip."

"Calm down Dora," replied Ted Tonks throwing the fine dust into the flames "everyhting is going to be just fine!" and with that, Astraea and her aunt, stepped into the green fire. Astraea barely had time to enjoy the sensation or see her uncles encouraging grin before her aunt holding her tightly by the hand said "The Burrow."

Compared to the current situation at the Weasley house, the Tonks' morning had been the picture of serenity. Only two of the seven children were leaving for school however, everyone seemed to be pitching in. Most more helpfully than the twins who were not so very covertly attempting to stuff their younger brother Ron into one of Charlie's trunks. Just as they were about to close the lid, they got distracted by the emerald green flames and ran over to her, almost knocking her back into the fireplace "Old Rea's here, she's a little queer," they sang "but we're happy that her birthday's here!" they finished the tune with gusto as Astraea frowned slightly she was about to open her mouth but the rest of the Weasley's had appeared through various doorways, or in the case of Arthur Weasley a window, to welcome them and wish her a happy birthday. By know Ted and Nymphadora had also joined them and after a rowdy chorus of happy birthday, Ted Tonks clapped his hands together and said "Right, give us a hand with these trunks Charlie, Dora let's get them to the car."

"Not so fast Ted," said Molly Weasley smiling "Rea hasn't opened her present yet."

In all the mayhem that surrounded them, Astraea somehow hadn't realised the pile of presents by the couch. She ran over to them grinning and opened them one by one Ron and Ginny had drawn her pictures, Ron's was a half decent one of the two families standing side by side. At least, Astraea guessed that was what the eleven lollipops, seven with red hair, one with yellow, one brown, one black and one pink were intended to be. Ginny's were just a series of colourful loop-de-loops but she was only three so, it didn't really matter. The two pictures were taped to a large, soft parcel and after removing the artwork and the wrapping paper it revealed a rainbow coloured scarf that could wrap around her neck twice and still reach her midriff. Next there was a small, cube shaped package that contained a simple spinning top from Mr. Weasley. She laid it on the ground and pulled on the string and the top started floating into the air, playing a tune. Bill and Charlie had given her a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Percy then came forward in a shy way and handed her a bunch of daises and daffodils, freshly picked from the Weasley's garden. "Thank you," she said "They're lovely, all of them."

As her aunt carefully placed all her treasures into a neat stack on the table Fred came up to her smiling mischeviously, "We'll give you our one later Rea," he whispered before running off to kitchen, hoping to steal some cookies. A few minutes later they were all packed into the Weasley's Ford Anglia.

After the three children safely on the train the rest of the group made their way back to the Tonks' house for Astraea's birthday party. They had some cake and then it was time for Astraea to open the presents she had got from her family. When she opened the large brown box a glass orb, about thirty centimetres in diameter soared into the air, stopping just above her head, "Put your hand on it and say your name Rea." said Uncle Ted smiling. As Astraea raised her little hand to touch the orb it slowly began to spin under her touch and when she said her name an image began to appear. First, a number of stars formed in the centre and then after shimmering in their place they burst to the edges of the sphere before finding their places and stopping. Then, a woman started to emerge from the stars. A beautiful woman in red and blue robes, smiling as she span, stars in her hair, wings, hands, feet. The children all looked in awe until Astraea removed her hand. The woman and the stars faded, the orb stopped spinning but stayed in midair a simple, glass sphere once again.

Astraea's eyes were wide in amazement. She wanted to try again but before she got a chance, the Weasley twins had bounded up to the sphere and laying their hand on it said their names confidently. However, nothing happened. The orb stood as t was. The twins were very disappointed "Why doesn't it work with our names Mr. Tonks?" asked Fred. "Well boys, Astraea has a special name. Not because it's better or nicer than yours are but because of it's meaning," after that he turned to Astraea still standing next to her present, a little confused "Your father named you after those stars you just saw Astraea."

Astraea noticed that when her father was mentioned the room went momentarily silent "Who wants some ice tea?" asked Andromeda trying a little too hard to smile as she did.

Later that afternoon Astraea and the twins were playing in the garden when the boys decided that it was finally time for her to get her present. "Take a seat Rea because this, is going to be great!" she sat down in the grass and waited anxiously for her surprise. From his trouser pocket Fred pulled out three metal bottletops, painted bright turquoise with safety pins stuck to the back. George looked at her, an unusually solemn expression on his face "You and Fred and me are best friends Rea and this is the badge of our secret club," Fred nodded before adding "Happy birthday mate." Rea knew then, that that bottletop was the best present she would ever ever get. "Thank you guys!" she said, laughing her little laugh as they each pinned a bottletop to their clothes. From that day on, they were a secret club, seperate from almost everybody else, special for their unity.

A few days later Astraea was sitting in the garden, reading a book when a tattered looking man appeared at the end of the road. It had been almost a year since he had seen the girl and when he caught sight of her, his heart leapt to his throat, almost making him turn back. He would have too, if Astraea hadn't chosen that particular moment to look straight at him. Her grey eyes sparkling in the midday sunlight. She raised her hand to wave at him smiling an impossibly familiar smile. He felt another surge of discomfort run through him. Everything about her, from head to toe was painful. A constant reminder of something he was not fond of remembering. _The child is not responsible for the sins of the father _he thought to himself. As he approached the white fence surrounding the house, Astraea ran to greet him, her black locks bouncing merrily against her back. He smiled back at her and from his pocket retrieved a small parcel "I hope I'm not too late to give you a present Astraea," he said apologetically "I came as soon as I could."

The child shrugged and streched out her hand expectantly. As she opened the package her face lit up and she jumped up and down with the uncontainable glee that only a child is capable of. "I didn't have this one Uncle Lupin!" she cried out with joy "How did you know?" her enthusiasm was contagious and Remus Lupin, who had only wanted to stop by for five minutes, found himself sitting in the warm sunlight, reading stories to the tiny prescence in his lap. Her awe at every word he read, her genuine love of stories reminded him of something, closer to home than he realised at that moment.

They were well into the second story when Andromeda Tonks who had been watching them from the living room window came out to the garden. The two remained completely oblivious to the fact that they had company until a shadow filled the page they were reading. Only then did Astraea raise her head "Look Aunty, Uncle Lupin brought me a present!" the woman smiled kindly "That's lovely dear, why don't you both come in for some supper?" Remus had already stayed longer than he had originally intended too but when he showed a sign of hesitation, Astraea shot her a look, making it impossible to refuse. After supper, during which Astraea babbled incessantly it was time for her to go to bed. When she was safely tucked away in bed, Remus built up the courage to breach a subject not easily breached to Andromeda Tonks. The conversation was awkward and long, uncomfortable silences passed between the two. "You have to tell her the story sooner or later," said Remus, fidgeting in his chair "She knows enough." answered Andromeda "She's going to find out sooner or later. She must know excatly what her monster of a father did."

Astraea stood right outside the kitchen door, story book in hand, feet bare and a lost goodnight still hanging on her lips. She didn't know what they were talking about but she heard enough to be hurt. Her father was a bad man, who had gone away for good. She knew that, but was he really a monster too? She soon forgot everyhting else she had overheard, she didn't think about it much either. She was six, not prone to deep thoughts on subjects she didn't fully comprehend. But all through her life those words were destined to haunt her.

_Her monster of a father. Her father, the monster._


End file.
